Obama slams Trump over Tylenol-pregnancy claims, calls it 'violence against truth'

Obama, in a veiled jibe, said “people in power” are making broad claims about certain drugs that have been disproven multiple times

Former US president Barack Obama slammed President Donald Trump over his claims that the use Tylenol during pregnancy leads to autism in new-born children.

Obama, in a veiled jibe, said “people in power” are making broad claims about certain drugs that have been disproven multiple times and this could do serious harm to public health.

“We have people in power making broad claims around certain drugs and autism that have been continuously disproven. The degree to which those comments can undermine public health, do harm to women who are pregnant, create anxiety for parents who do have children who are autistic – is violence against the truth,” Obama said in a post on X.

We have people in power making broad claims around certain drugs and autism that have been continuously disproven. The degree to which those comments can undermine public health, do harm to women who are pregnant, create anxiety for parents who do have children who are autistic –… pic.twitter.com/rxCZ7OIzs8

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 25, 2025

Trump on Monday repeatedly suggested that Tylenol is behind the rise of autism rates in the US and women should avoid it. Trump said women should not use acetaminophen, known by its brand name of Tylenol, “during the entire pregnancy. He also raised unfounded concerns about vaccines.

The Trump administration has been under immense pressure from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s diverse Make America Healthy Again movement to provide answers on the causes of the marked increase in autism cases in the U.S. in recent years.

Experts say the rise in cases is mainly due to a new definition for the disorder that now includes mild cases on a “spectrum” and better diagnoses. They say there is no single cause to the disorder and say the rhetoric appears to ignore and undermine decades of science into the genetic and environmental factors that can play a role.

The announcement is the latest step the administration, driven by Kennedy and his supporters, has taken to reshape America's public health landscape.

With PTI inputs